Declining Sperm Counts in the West

According to this July 25, 2017,Scientific American article, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sperm-count-dropping-in-weste... ,

Sperm counts in men from America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand have dropped by more than 50 percent in less than 40 years, researchers said on Tuesday.

The article further states that the rate of decline ia not slowing.

The article is not based on original research, but cites a study that was a meta-analysis of some 185 prior studies. Causality isn't part of the study but, per the article:

The analysis did not explore reasons for the decline, but researchers said falling sperm counts have previously been linked to various factors such as exposure to certain chemicals and pesticides, smoking, stress and obesity.

Though a clarion call for more and further research, I suspect that it really is no big deal. I'm certain that Monsanto, Eli-Lilly, Syngenta, et. al. are desperately trying to cash in on this discover a solution and will soon come up with some sort of cocktail (heh) of assorted modified hormone homologues that they will sell to very wealthy males and distribute free to employees of the FDA.

Oh yes, this does not appear to be a problem in South America, Asia and Africa, yet, though that could simply be due to a lack of studies

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Arrow's picture

Unless you're Brig. Gen. Jack D. Ripper and very concerned about 'precious bodily fluids'.
I'm sure I never had problem down there... NOPE...Never.

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I want a Pony!

enhydra lutris's picture

@Arrow
anyway.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Pricknick's picture

Maybe it was that vasectomy?
Giggles aside, who in their right mind would bring a child into this world?

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Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.

enhydra lutris's picture

@Pricknick

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

thanatokephaloides's picture

@Pricknick

Giggles aside, who in their right mind would bring a child into this world?

AMEN!! Preach it, brother!

Diablo

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

of the overgrowth of a prolific pest. Just in time. /s (sort of)

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Capitalism is the extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men for the nastiest of motives will somehow work for the benefit of all."
- John Maynard Keynes

Pricknick's picture

@ovals49
Mother Nature will be ridding herself of many worthwhile species while putting the pesticide on a virus called human.

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Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.

@Pricknick
as parts of a larger ecosystem. Humankind largely stands apart in that regard, using the advantage of a larger brain and opposable thumb to subjugate, eradicate or consume other species and to ravage natural resources without regard to the sustainability or balance of the larger system.

There are far, far too many of us for a healthy global ecosystem, but we seem hard wired to mindlessly continue to procreate, even hoping to colonize new worlds as we complete the destruction of this one. Our collective idiocy is quite stunning, yet rarely even mentioned as a problem that needs to be addressed.

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Capitalism is the extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men for the nastiest of motives will somehow work for the benefit of all."
- John Maynard Keynes

their witchy agenda has just totally sucked all the male vitality out of us XY types.

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The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.

thanatokephaloides's picture

@UntimelyRippd

i blame dem lez-beens. their witchy agenda has just totally sucked all the male vitality out of us XY types.

So if less beans means my sperm count drops, then more beans should restore it, am I right?

Looks like some more cans of Rosarita in my future!! Fritos Bean Dip, too!

(in the event it's needed: SNARK!!)

Wink

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

in our food, water, air - everywhere. I think they are also the reason girls are menstruating in greater numbers at a much younger age.

In The Falling Age of Puberty in US Girls (2007), Sandra Steingraber, who is probably best known for her groundbreaking work on the links between environmental health contaminants and cancer, undertakes a thorough meta-analysis of the existing data on early puberty in girls. She carefully traces the complex and interlocking relationships between puberty, which includes the advent of breast buds, pubic hair and menarche (first menstruation), with physiological, psychological and environmental (nutritional, chemical) conditions, and the consequences for the maturation process of our young women.

The impetus for Steingraber’s meta-analysis may surprise some: breast cancer. While many of us may think of breast cancer as a tragedy far removed from the early years of puberty, research now indicates that early menarche is a known risk factor for breast cancer developed later in life. Thus, the Breast Cancer Fund commissioned Steingraber to undertake an analysis of declining puberty age rates to help trace the neuro-hormonal mechanisms that govern breast development in its earliest stages, and to find what may influence and trigger this earlier growth. [link]

This is just one article, one analysis of the phenomenon. Another correlation is early puberty, early menopause. Declining sperm counts must tie into all of this.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

@dkmich indicated that early menarche correlated with lack of mathematical ability.

I don't know if these studies (or study) still holds today.

I wonder if this plays into the lack of interest in science by women.

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dfarrah

Its the damn chemicals the food industry gets paid to introduce to the masses (in the name of national security) that are giving us all of these nutritional gifts, and the ailments as side effects. My own sperm factories were fried by RADAR before the dangers were discovered. Fried the eyes as well. Round organs effected. I think the newer broadcast wavelengths are effecting us is in subconscious regions, lizard brain or above. Explains the mass madness.

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Not Henry Kissinger's picture

Look what they're turning us into!

Seriously though. More sex. Fewer pregnancies. What's the problem?

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The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?

SpamNunn's picture

correcting for overcrowding

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It's just my opinion. It can't hurt you

didn't we see studies in Japan I think where males are not as interested in sex? I guess it would have had to have been both sexes less interested maybe?

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glitterscale

@glitterscale seems to be tied to economics (lack of well-paying jobs, not enough money to establish a family).

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dfarrah

thanatokephaloides's picture

@dfarrah

Their lack of interest seems to be tied to economics (lack of well-paying jobs, not enough money to establish a family).

During every male human's first forays into the sexual world, there's a few years where a lover revealing "I'm pregnant!" means serious consideration of suicide for him.

Normally that's over by age 21, because the man can go to work and support that child.

But, more and more, that day and age never goes away. The Japanese men are experiencing a form of it.

So have I.

Sad

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

"the earth will go out not with a bang but with a whimper" means?

This might not be Monsanto.... it may be Mother Earth finally deciding that we don't belong here.

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"Without the right to offend, freedom of speech does not exist." Taslima Nasrin

@Fishtroller 02

I had a similar thought.

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cause, is indeed a lucrative pursuit, as are solutions like artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, surrogacy and the like. Not to mention the specter of cloning.

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